The Politics of DAMS by Hanna Werner

Construction of large dams has been a significant factor in post-Independence developmental politics in India. This volume traces the ideological foundation of dam-building in India and brings it face to face with its political opposition and alternative visions of society. Grounded in reflections on the language of resistance, it combines a historical analysis of the politics of dams with an ethnography of the north Indian Tehri Dam and the recent dispute about hydropower projects on the Ganges. Locating the topic within the framework of modernity and development, Werner brings a wider dimension to the controversial debate over large dams. Understanding its broader intellectual and political underpinnings is crucial in order to rethink the different layers of critique with regard to such projects, embedded as they are, within an overwhelming and apparently commonsensical idea of development in the post-colonial world.Salient Features:• A highly interdisciplinary study—catering to research scholars and students of political science, economics, sociology and history • Of equal interest to readers academics, activists, and policymakers • Combines a rich ethnographical study with a incisive historical analysis • Presents informative case studies • Contains photographs and maps to support the study